Submunition fuze

Active Publication Date: 2005-09-01
IMI SYST LTD
View PDF4 Cites 3 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] It is a further object that embodiments of the present invention include safety mechanisms for neutralizing ‘dud’ submunition grenades, thereby preventing dangerous dads being left on the battlefield.
[0015] It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a fuze for submunition grenades having increased reliability, so that number of successfully detonated grenades is maximized, minimizing the occurrence of duds.
[0018] said firing pin being able to rotatably reciprocate between a forward position and a retracted position by rotation of said firing pin with respect to said weighted insert along said threadedly engaged screw threads;
[0022] said fuze further comprising a fully mechanical inertial releasable safety apparatus for preventing swiveling of said swivel mounted striker, to prevention initiation of said time delay detonator ignition system.
[0025] (a) release of said Swivel mounted striker whilst said slider is in said safe position triggers said time delay detonator ignition system, resulting in ignition of said stab detonator after said time delay whilst said stab detonator is held securely in said housing, disarming said submunition grenade thereby, rendering it relatively harmless;
[0030] In a first embodiment, the fully mechanical inertially releasable safety apparatus comprises a small block tat is wedgeable into the fuze housing and, when wedged therein, the small block prevents the swiveling of the swivel mounted striker, such that upon the submunition grenade being ejected from the cargo projectile, spin of the submunition grenade results in a centrifugal force that causes detachment of said block from the fuze housing; said detachment of the block allows the swivel mounted striker to swivel into a position such that it strikes said percussion cap and activates the time delay detonator ignition system.

Problems solved by technology

It will be appreciated however, that very small changes in elevation of the canon will have a major effect on where a shell will land, and this results in an inherent difficulty in using heavy artillery against soldiers.
Furthermore, a company of foot soldiers may be spread out over an area of land, and the damage caused by a conventional shell is too localized to be of much use.
This is most important, as their being scattered over the battlefield poses a hazard to friendly troops and even to civilians or wildlife long after the battle.
Once the firing pin is moved to the armed position however, an impact or similar jolt will cause the pin to detonate the detonator, igniting the charge thereby and causing the submunition grenade to explode.
Like all mechanical systems, such slider assemblies are not fail-safe.
One disadvantage of the prior art submunition fuzes described hereinabove, is that where the submunition grenade impacts with an inappropriate surface, such as a soft surface, or where the angle of impact is wrong, such that the firing pin is not induced to strike the detonator, the grenade is not detonated.
Consequently, there is a risk of armed submunition grenades launched at the enemy but not detonated on impact being left scattered over the battlefield.
Armed dud submunition grenades remain dangerous, and pose a risk to friendly troops and even to civilians long after the battle.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Submunition fuze
  • Submunition fuze
  • Submunition fuze

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0064] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, which show an improved fuze 81 constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention, in an unarmed position. FIG. 2A is a side-sectional view of the fuze, FIG. 2B is a sectional view of an improved fuze 81 taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a sectional view of the improved fuze 81 taken along section line C-C of FIG. 2B.

[0065] The improved fuze is part of a submunition grenade comprising the improved fuze and a charge, both enclosed within a casing. When initiated, the fuze ignites the charge and this explodes, causing the case to disintegrate into lethal shrapnel. The improved fuze is directed at providing a reliable means of igniting the charge subsequent to the submunition grenade separating from the cargo projectile after launching, such that the improved fuze, the submunition grenade including the fuze, and a cargo projectile containing such submunition grenades are all relatively safe to handle, si...

third embodiment

[0089] In this third embodiment, as in the first two, where the firing pin retracts and the slider slides out under the effect of the centrifugal force, the submunition grenade should explode on impact due to the initiation of the stab detonator by the firing pin aligned therewith. If this does not detonate on impact, the time delay detonator ignition mechanism 36 will result in activation of the detonator after the pyrotechnic combustion charge burns through. Furthermore, as with the other embodiments, mutatis mutandis, should the firing pin fail to retract and / or the slider fail to slide, the time delay detonator ignition mechanism 36 will cause the destruction of the stab detonator of the unarmed submunition grenade after the pyrotechnic combustion charge bums through, and thereby render it comparatively safe.

[0090] Referring back to FIG. 1; when the submunition grenade 2 is discharged from the cargo projectile 4, the stabilizer 10 that is typically a folded length of nylon ribbo...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

No PUM Login to View More

Abstract

An improved fuze for a submunition grenade designed to be launched from a cargo projectile comprising a fuze, a charge and a casing; the improved fuze comprising a fuze housing; a threaded firing pin having a pointed tip, oriented coaxially with the submunition grenade, and threadedly engageable to a threaded hole in a weighted insert that is able to reciprocate within the fuze housing; a slider slidingly moveable in a substantially radial plane tangential to the axis of the firing pin, between a safe position and an armed position; the firing pin being able to rotatably reciprocate forwards and backwards by rotation of the firing pin with respect to the weighted insert along the threadedly engaged screw threads; the fuze further comprising a fully mechanical inertial releasable safety apparatus for preventing swiveling of the swivel mounted striker, to prevention initiation of the time delay detonator ignition system.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to military ordinances, particularly to safety devices for submunitions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Sometimes, on the battlefield, heavy canon, such as artillery pieces, tanks and the like, are deployed against foot soldiers, particularly where the target is out of range of machine gun bullets, or where there is no line of sight with the target. It will be appreciated however, that very small changes in elevation of the canon will have a major effect on where a shell will land, and this results in an inherent difficulty in using heavy artillery against soldiers. Furthermore, a company of foot soldiers may be spread out over an area of land, and the damage caused by a conventional shell is too localized to be of much use. One known approach for destroying foot soldiers under these conditions is to use a ‘cargo projectile’ loaded with submunition grenades. The cargo projectile is a shell that is designed to be fired from ...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
IPC IPC(8): F42C9/16F42C9/18F42C14/06F42C15/184F42C15/26F42C15/44
CPCF42C9/16F42C9/18F42C15/44F42C15/184F42C15/26F42C14/06
InventorLEVY, AMIRHARGAASH, ASAFYERUSHALMI, RANHAY, AMNON
OwnerIMI SYST LTD